Barnwarming comes home
by Jessica Petzel, posted Sept. 25, 2007
Enjoy a country dinner, catch up with friends on a Friday night and then hit the dance floor. The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ CAFNR Week wound down with barnwarming in MU’s Trowbridge Livestock Center, complete with jeans, cowboy hats and boots kicking up dust in time with that good old country music.
“It’s a laidback way to end the week,” said Christine Tew, of the CAFNR Week steering committee. “It’s a good old-fashioned barn dance.”
In between dancing in the arena under retro green flashing lights, the winners of CAFNR Week were announced. Alpha Gamma Rho took home the trophy, which is to become a traveling trophy with the addition of a plaque recognizing the winning organization every year. Door prizes such as hats, beauty products and a plant were also awarded.
This year’s barnwarming returned to campus after several years at off-site locations.
“It seems a shame to go downtown when we have the facilities here,” Tew said.
She said that instead of spending money on the place, the money can be put to more enjoyable things, like a steak dinner.
The food fed the night with spiced and seasoned meat, sweet soft rolls, crunchy-on–the-top brownies, lemonade and iced tea served by University Catering Services.
Leslie Jett, a hotel and restaurant management faculty member and former CAFNR student, remembered when barnwarming was off campus and very different.
“It used to be at Midway, a very alcoholic operation,” he said. “Barnwarming has gone dry.”
Melissa Spain, a sophomore studying biochemistry, came in with fresh eyes this year. She did not go last year because it was more of a concert at the Blue Note, and she was more involved this year.
“I was a queen candidate so I felt like I should go and check it out,” she said.
Jared Liles, a senior studying agricultural economics, attended for his third year and agreed that this year’s barnwarming had a totally different atmosphere. He liked bringing it back to campus because it kept it at home.
“Give it time; it will get very popular among students,” he said.
